Center Point traffic cameras trigger ire, petitions

Traffic cameras are shown at the intersection of 25th Ave. NE and 23rd Ave. NE in Center Point. The City of Center Point is installing traffic cameras at ten locations throughout the city. Signs have popped up on streets warning of the cameras. (The Birmingham News/Joe Songer)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- A petition circulating in and around Center Point against the city's use of traffic cameras has more than 1,200 names on it.

Jeff Walden of Pinson presented the petition to the Center Point City Council on Thursday. The petition says the people signing it "vow to cease making retail purchases at any business within the city limits of Center Point."

Since January, Center Point has been issuing citations from images taken by cameras at stop signs and in a van that is moved around the city. The city plans to put cameras at intersections that have traffic lights.

City officials said the cameras were installed to cut down on speeding and running red lights and stop signs.

"The first remarks I have heard from these mailed citation recipients are, 'I will never drive through Center Point again,' or 'I will never buy anything in Center Point again,'" Walden said. "This program that this council has adopted has, I'm sure, yielded great income on the front end, but will cost this city dearly in the long run."

Roger Barlow, council president, said the city's focus is not on money, but safety.

"Folks, we don't want your money," he said, prompting murmurs in the crowd.

City officials said a driver has to be going 11 miles per hour over the speed limit to trigger the cameras.

Mayor Tom Henderson said the city's approach does not constitute a speed trap.

"In my mind, speed traps are when there's no notification and they really would get you for going a mile an hour over the speed limit," he said.

Barlow said he has seen fast-moving drivers set off the cameras on Center Point Parkway. He said his wife was caught speeding by one of the cameras.

Barlow reminded people at the meeting that the cameras are put in place to encourage people to obey the traffic laws.

"If you're not speeding, you're not going to get one," Barlow said. "We just want to make Center Point a safer place."

According to figures released by Redflex, the company that put in the system, 26,652 images could have been considered for citations between Jan. 9 and March 31. Of those, 15,780 were rejected after review by sheriff's deputies contracted by the city. The mayor pointed out that the cameras were turned off from Jan. 23 until Feb. 16 due to the January tornado.

For the first 100 tickets in a month, Center Point gets 60 percent of the fine and Redflex gets 40 percent. After that, the city gets 65 percent and Redflex gets 35 percent.

The state legislation which allowed Center Point to use the cameras dictates that the money has limited use, Henderson said.

"The funds that come in to the city are put in a special account that can only be used for law enforcement and traffic safety," the mayor said.

Jefferson County sheriff's deputies contracted by the city have been reviewing images of vehicles captured by Redflex's cameras to determine if citations needed to be issued. Sheriff Mike Hale ordered the deputies this week to stop reviewing the camera shots.

"He wants those guys and gals out in the public, in the neighborhoods protecting the citizens and fighting crime," Deputy Chief Randy Schlitz said of the sheriff.

Henderson said the city will use money from the public safety fund to hire three or four retired, certified law enforcement officials to do the reviews. They would be part-time workers, he said.

The cameras will continue monitoring traffic as reviewers are trained, the mayor said.

The city is planning to put up signs near the mobile trailer to warn drivers they are being monitored.